I Sense You There
by Giant Nickel
Summary: A series of oneshots centered around Ed and Winry during the year of Ed's automail surgery with one of the five senses serving as the themes for each installment. EdxWin and lots of adolescent drama.
1. Sight

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. That honor belongs to someone far more deserving and talented than I._

**A/N:**_ So this is the first in my '5 Senses' series. This saga is dedicated to the year between the night Ed and Al tried to bring their mother back until they burned down their house. There will be another '5 Senses' saga that will follow the lives of Ed, Al and Winry after the Elrics return to their bodies._

_Hope you enjoy it!_

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****

Sight

Winry bit her nails, unaware that her thumb had started bleeding from her insistent nibbling. Granny had warned her that nail biting was a bad habit and horribly unfitting for a young girl, but Winry had always chewed on her nails whenever she was anxious, and the ten year old was certain she had never been more anxious in all of her life.

She was standing vigil by a bedside, her blue eyes locked on the person writhing under the sheets, desperate for him to wake up just so she could see the dark gold of his eyes once more.

When Ed had written that he and Al would be returning from their year long sabbatical in Dublith, Winry had been overjoyed, thinking that the brothers had finally come to terms with their mother's death and were now ready to come back home and move on.

The date and train number had been firmly engraved in Winry's memory as she impatiently waited for the days to pass. Finally, the day arrived and Winry was dressed and ready to leave for the station long before Pinako had even had her first cup of coffee. Tapping her feet with uncontained excitement against the aging wood, Winry was nearly jumping out of her shoes when Ed and Al's train heaved up to the station, the steam blanketing the platform and making it nearly impossible to see through the opaque clouds. Winry, however, would not be deterred. Unwilling to blink for fear of missing them, Winry scanned around the few passengers, her clear sky-blue eyes finally picking out twin heads of spun gold hair.

Ed and Al were home.

When they had stepped off the train, Winry had to admit that they seemed much older, especially Ed who held himself with more confidence and appeared to have become even more arrogant in the last year he'd been gone. That didn't matter to Winry, though. Calling out to them, she ran at the brothers at top speed, her straw hat flying off of her head to be lost in the meadows. As she hugged the pair close, Al rubbed her back reassuringly while Ed complained about the chokehold she had on him. Winry just ignored Ed's protests, never once noticing the alarming blush that stained his cheeks.

She was so happy! The Elrics were home, and everything would go back to the way it had been before they left.

How very wrong she was.

The alienation and complete disregard hadn't been what Winry expected.

She understood the bond between the brothers, but before their mother had died they had always kept a special place for her in their lives. After Trisha's death, Ed and Al didn't come by as much. They were always talking in alchemical formulas and keeping secrets from her. Winry had hoped that would change when they returned from their apprenticeship, but if anything, the alchemy obsession got worse.

It was the secrets that hurt the most.

Winry had never kept secrets from Ed or Al. They knew everything about her from her dreams of being a world renowned automail mechanic to the last time she had wet the bed. Winry would never dream of keeping things from either Elric, and knowing that they kept secrets from her hurt more than the time she'd burned herself with a soldering iron. She reached out to them, asking them what it was they were so keen on discovering in the crusty old books from their father's library. However, if she ever did intrude on Ed and Al's secret project, Ed would just call her a crybaby who couldn't possibly understand the complicated science of alchemy before pushing her away and slamming a door in her face.

It left her crying every time.

She was only ten years old and barely able to understand why Ed's rejection had hurt so deeply. All she wanted was to be Edward Elric's best friend again, but it seemed that Ed was determined to keep a firm distance between them.

Now, as she stared at Ed lying on the bed, his skin a deathly grey and an arm and a leg missing, Winry understood why he had not wanted her involved.

A train whistle in the distance disturbed the peace in the room.

Just like Ed's scream had…that night…

* * *

_"Winry Rockbell! You get your hide back in here this instant!" Pinako Rockbell hollered over the thunder._

_"But that was Ed, Granny! Ed's in trouble!" Winry insisted, pushing past the screen door and leaping down the porch stairs to the wet grass._

_"Winry, I won't let you go out in this storm!"_

_"Ed was screaming."_

_"You don't even know it was him!"_

_"Yes I do!" Winry cried, spinning back to face her grandmother, her blond ponytail slapping wetly against her cheek. Her eyes were dark and churning, just like the storm that was raging all over Resembool. Pinako was momentarily in awe of the strength in her granddaughter's blue eyes, eyes that looked so much like her son's, but the moment was fleeting and soon overshadowed by her stern anger._

_"Winry…"_

_"Grandma! That scream came from Ed's house. I know it was him." Winry insisted, stamping her foot in the sodden grass._

_Pinako whipped her pipe out of her mouth and roughly banged it against the doorframe._

_"Listen here young lady!" the elderly woman cried, her voice easily overpowering the thunder in the dark sky. "I took a switch to your father and uncles and I won't hesitate to bend you over my knee and give you a sound thrashing…I'm hoping you're smarter than they were."_

_It was a long tense moment as the thunder roared around them._

_This was the first fight that Winry had ever had with her grandmother. Pinako narrowed her dark eyes, glowering at the ten year old. As a Rockbell, Winry stood up to the reputation of her name by being a child whose stubbornness was a solid as stone, and Pinako admired that. After all, Winry reminded her much of herself when she was young, but this situation was dangerous and Pinako would be damned if she was about to watch her ten year old granddaughter and only family march out in a storm in the dead of night._

_The old woman breathed a sigh of relief when Winry took sharp stomping steps back towards the house._

_"I see you have some sense." Pinako snorted under her breath. Winry's shoes squeaked as she stepped onto the porch. The ten year old's blond tresses were sopping, sticking to her cheeks and neck, and her flimsy nightgown was unable to hide how the child trembled under the harsh light of the porch lamp._

_"Granny…"_

_"Get inside and change into something warm. I'll make cocoa."_

_Winry grumbled under her breath the whole time. Still she did change into a dry nightdress and returned to the kitchen where Granny had left a mug of hot cocoa. Sitting down, her eyes riveted to the screen door, Winry sipped the hot drink and relaxed as it warmed her insides._

_"There, nice and warm." Pinako cooed as she placed a towel on Winry's wet tresses._

_"Granny…I'm worried about Ed and Al."_

_"I know." Pinako drawled as she put her raincoat on. "That's why I'm going over to get them. It's late, but even those boys shouldn't be alone in a storm like this."_

_"Really, Granny? You'll go get them? Can I come, too?"_

_"No." Pinako said firmly, giving her granddaughter a narrowed stare. "Just sit down, drink your cocoa and I'll be back soon with Ed…"_

_Pinako never finished her sentence._

_The screen door burst open with such force that the hinges broke, and standing in the frame was a sight Winry would never forget._

_Blood._

_There was blood everywhere! On his face, in his hair, dripping on the floor and splattering the dull grey metal of a large suit of armor that held him._

_"Aunty!" a voice cried from deep within the bowels of the armor. Winry felt herself blanch, her eyes never tearing away from her unconscious friend._

_Ed was missing an arm and a leg…what had happened…_

_"Who are you?!" Pinako demanded. "What have you done to Edward?!"_

_"Aunty, please!" that haunting voice begged. "You have to do something."_

_Pinako, not recognizing the voice, was about to grab the broom and beat the intruder in armor but Winry's whispering voice halted the elderly woman's actions._

_"Al?" the young girl asked, her body trembling at the horrific possibility. "Al, is that you in there?"_

_"Winry!"_

_Pinako's pipe clanked on the floor as her mouth dropped open. It was Al._

_"Wh-what are you doing in that armor? How can you…"_

_"You did it, didn't you!" Pinako roared, interrupting her granddaughter and stomping furiously towards the giant suit of armor. Looking over Ed quickly and assessing the bandages Al had applied, Pinako stared into the black eyeholes of the helmet with an accusing snarl. "You tried to bring back your mother, didn't you?"_

_"We're sorry!" Al howled, his huge metal body slumping forward, pressing Ed into Pinako's chest. "We didn't know…please…he'll bleed to death, Auntie…save him…save brother…"_

_Sobs echoed from deep inside the hollow chest of the armor and Winry felt her own tears trailing down her cheeks. She hadn't even been aware that she was crying, her vision clouded by bright splotches of blood and dark, empty eyes…_

* * *

That night had been the longest of Winry's life.

Even worse than when she received an impersonal telegram informing her of her parents' death, Winry was not sure how she had managed to shake herself out of her shocked stupor and help Granny save Ed's life.

What she did know was that Al brought Ed to the operation room in the back of the house where Granny proceeded to sterilize tools for treating Ed's wounds. Winry vaguely remembered Granny telling her to boil water and prepare a syringe, as well as Al's strangled cry when it was determined that a few more inches of Ed's arm and leg would need to be surgically removed in order for Granny to properly close the wounds.

It could have been minutes or hours, Winry really wasn't sure, but before she knew it, Ed was laying in his regular bed in his and Al's room upstairs. He had needed blood and Winry hadn't hesitated. She knew that she and Ed were the same blood type and offered her arm to Granny before the elder woman even had to ask. Besides assisting her grandmother, giving blood was the most Winry could do for Ed.

That had been three days ago.

Three days of waiting, of never sleeping, of barely eating, of refusing to give up on him. Ed was strong, he would pull through.

If only he would wake up.

Granny had explained that it may be a week before Ed regained consciousness, urging Winry to take care of herself. Even Al, who, it seemed, couldn't sleep since he was a soul without a human body, told Winry that she didn't have to stand guard all day. But Winry refused to listen to either of them, never leaving her vigil from Ed's beside for more than a bathroom break or quick run to the kitchen.

She wanted to see Ed's eyes open…she wanted her eyes to be the first thing Ed saw when he woke up. That way, he would know that everything was OK.

"Grughh…"

Jumping from her chair, Winry leaned over Ed's body. His brow was scrunched, his fingers fisting in the sheets, and a fine sheen of sweat covered his body. He was in pain! Quickly filling a syringe with antibiotics, Winry gave Ed the injection, holding her breath as she watched his body slowly relax, his teeth no longer biting the inside of his cheek, his back no longer arching off the bed. When he sighed, she sighed, the tension flowing from her body as well until she had to lean against the wall for support.

She could feel the tears pricking the corner of her eyes again and knew that it would be only a matter of moments before she was sobbing quietly to herself.

This was all too much.

Winry stared down at Ed. His golden hair, always as bright as the sun, was slick and greasy, and Winry imagined she could still see traces of rusty blood caught in the bullion locks. His skin was a sickly grey, and his eyes…well, until he awoke, Winry wouldn't know if Ed's eyes still held their luminous shine or if they were dark and dead, just as his body seemed to be.

'_Dear God,_' Winry thought, '_if you let Ed live through this, I promise to never tease him about being short again._'

It was no secret that Ed was vertically challenged.

No matter how much the boy tried to deny it, Ed was short for his age and was often teased for this very fact, with Winry was his main tormentor. Even though she enjoyed picking fun at Ed's height, Winry had never been serious. In Winry's eyes, Ed had never been _very_ short. Yet as she stared down at him fighting to live, it occurred to the ten year old that this was the first time, in her eyes, that Ed had ever looked small.

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_And that's the first installment of_ 'I Sense You There'

_I'd like to take this chance to thank everyone who has been reading my fics. Your support is so very appreciated!_

_Reviews are welcomed and appreciated. No flames, please and thank you!_

**Giant Nickel**


	2. Sound

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the characters_

_Enjoy!_

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**Sound**

"I'm going to join the military."

It was the stupidest thing Winry had ever heard and the fact that it was coming from Edward Elric's mouth really surprised her. True, Ed was not known for being tactful, or polite, or charitable, or even sociable, but the boy was not dumb. At ten, he was hailed as a prodigy, able to perform alchemy better than most adult alchemists and with a mind so sharp he could break down the composition of most any object without having to crack open a textbook.

He was a genius, and yet he was sitting before her spouting the most ridiculous drivel she had ever heard!

"What?" Ed asked, noticing the blank stare Winry was giving him.

"Are you stupid or something?" she asked without thinking. Her words, naturally, triggered Ed's temper. His cheeks began to flush, his eyes narrowed with indignant fury, and he ground his teeth just as he always did when he was mad.

It occurred to Winry that this was the first time since the accident a month ago that Ed had looked so alive.

After battling a fever for nearly five days and nights, Ed had finally cracked open one eye, Winry's concerned face the first thing he saw. He was groggy and apologetic and more than in a great deal of pain, but he was _alive_ and Winry couldn't have asked for anything more.

At least, that was what she had thought.

Even though Ed was alive, even though he had survived loosing two limbs, surgery, a fever and the risk of infection, he was not the Ed that Winry was hoping would wake. It was shortly after his stitches had been removed that Winry noticed just how much Ed had changed. There was no more fire in Ed's eyes, no more pompous determination, or aggravating bragging, or even an over-confidant smile. Most days, Ed did little more than sit idly in his wheelchair, staring listlessly out the window, usually at his house on the hill. Winry and Al had tried everything to get Ed motivated again and Pinako had seriously discussed with the child the advantages of prosthetic limbs.

While Ed did regain his strength, and seemed mildly interested in the world around him, it was as if a cloud of despair hovered over him.

He seldom spoke.

When Ed did deign to speak, Winry found herself startled by his voice. It was hoarse and scratchy, most likely from the strain of his recovery, but there was something else. Sometimes, through the rough timber, Winry thought she heard a new voice coming from Ed. A voice that was deep and tired, like a soldier that had been at war. This was the voice with which Ed made his declaration, and while Winry was drawn to the determined tone that reminded her of the old Ed, she still found his words utterly moronic.

"What's so stupid about it?" Ed hollered back, his voice squeaking as he ranted.

"What do you mean? Ed, do you know what will happen if you join the military?" Winry didn't give Ed the opportunity to answer before ticking off points on her fingers. "They'll make you their lap dog, you'll never get to do what you want, you might have to go to war, you might have to kill people, and you'll have to move away from Resembool!"

"So?"

"So? What the hell do you mean, 'so'?"

"Winry Rockbell, watch your tongue!" Pinako snapped as she walked into the living room, a tray of food in her hands. The two pre-teens stopped their argument and watched as the elder woman laid out their lunch.

"Grandma, tell Ed he's being stupid for wanting to join the military." Winry pleaded. She was certain that, since Pinako was _her_ grandmother, the older woman would be on her side. When Pinako said nothing but rather looked at Ed with a critical eye, Winry began to panic. Surely, her grandmother wouldn't let Ed go along with his crazy idea.

"I don't like it, Ed, you know I don't." Pinako drawled as she adjusted her glasses on her nose.

"I know you don't like it, but you know what? It's not your choice to make, old lady." Ed answered stubbornly.

"So rude." Pinako grumbled. "You know you'll be little better than a dog, having to obey the orders of your commander, even if you don't want to."

"I know, I know!" Ed snarled, banging his fist against the arm of his wheelchair. "But I'll get access to the library. I'll be able to read documents that I'd never be able to get a hold of if I stay here…if that's what it takes to get mine and Al's body back then I'll do it."

"Ed…"

"You're not going to stop me!" Ed said heatedly, his golden eyes boring into Winry's with such passion she thought she might burn. Whatever Ed did, he always tackled it head-on and with single-minded aggression. Before, it had been a quality that had endeared the golden haired boy to his oldest friend, but considering his bullheadedness had been what left him without an arm and leg and now was about to lead him down a path that would take him away from her, Winry suddenly found Ed's determination to be her greatest pet peeve.

"And just how do you plan to be ready on time for the test?" Winry countered.

"Automail."

Both Winry and Pinako gave Ed wide, curious stares.

"What? You both make automail, don't you? Well, I want some, and I can pay, too."

"Oh really Ed, we wouldn't…"

"No! I want automail and I'm going to pay for it. I'll force you to take the money if I have to!"

"And where would you have money?" Winry demanded. "Do you have any idea how expensive automail is? There's no way you could have that much."

"Well that goes to show what you know." Ed snapped, gritting his teeth as perspiration trickled down his chest and caused his shirt to stick to his skin. He was breathing heavily and looked pale, the only color on his face splotches of pink on his cheeks. "You remember the loose floorboard under the kitchen mat? Well, it turns out the bastard left mom some money which she kept for us and it's hidden there. You can go look for yourself. There's more than enough for _two_ automail limbs."

"Ed…"

"Why are you arguing with me, Winry? It's the only way!" Ed hollered.

The broken crack in his voice left the ten year old sounding shrill and strained. The sound was so pathetic it nearly made Winry cry.

Nearly.

"You need to worry about your recovery before anything else, Ed. It's only been a month and you're far from being well. I mean, you're still getting phantom pains."

"Edward?" Pinako drawled, giving the boy a hard stare. She hadn't been aware of any phantom pains. As an experienced doctor and surgeon, Pinako knew it was unlikely that Ed _wouldn't_ suffer from the phenomenon known as phantom pains, not will all the nerves he had severed. But ever since he had regained consciousness and was no longer requiring constant injections of morphine and had never once complained of phantom pains, Pinako simply counted the boy's blessings that he was part of the minority.

It seemed she was wrong.

"It is true, Edward?" Pinako demanded, her tone sounding much harsher than what she felt. She was merely mad at herself for allowing a ten year old to fool her.

Ed didn't look Pinako in the eye when he spoke, a dead give-away that he had been caught in a lie.

"It's not that bad." he scoffed.

"Not that bad? Ed, I've watched you throw-up for half an hour it's been so bad! I _thought_ you had told Granny, but obviously that's not what happened." Winry snorted, feeling righteous in her argument. When Ed did not respond, Winry looked at him, prepared to either continue arguing or declare victory.

Her words caught in her throat

Ed was slumped in his wheelchair, his chin was buried in his chest, his left hand gripping the arm of his chair desperately and his eyes closed tightly. For a moment, Winry was reminded of how frightened she had been waiting for him to wake up after that horrible night. He looked so pathetic and sick and small…she just wanted to keep him safe. Being in the military was the furthest from safety he could possibly get, and Winry was going to fight Ed all the way on his stupid impulsive decision.

"Besides," Winry sighed as she slumped in her chair and looked at her grandmother out of the corner of her eye, "in order to qualify for the State Alchemist test you would have to be up and functional in thirteen months. There's never been a case of someone with two major appendages being reattached with automail and making a full recovery in a year. It's impossible."

"Not for me." Ed whispered, and to both Rockbell women, those words sounded like a promise.

"Grandma, tell Ed he's being ridiculous." Winry huffed as she crossed her arms with haughty confidence. When Pinako did not answer, Winry blinked and looked at her grandmother with incredulous blue eyes. "Grandma?"

"Auntie," Ed said before the old woman could speak, "I'm going."

There was a finality in his voice that seemed to have settled the matter.

"Well, then I guess that's that." Pinako muttered around her pipe. "Here's your lunch. Enjoy it while you can."

And with those defeated words, Pinako left Ed and Winry alone, not surprised when she heard the shrill cry of her granddaughter berating Ed for his foolish choice. Pinako sighed and shook her head. She wasn't thrilled with Ed's decision either, but she knew that the stubborn ten year old would do what he felt he must in order to correct his mistakes. There was no point in trying to stop him. After all, she had told him not to dabble in human transmutation and look what he went and did.

'_An idiot, just like his father._'

"Auntie Pinako." Al called as he entered the kitchen, a stack of wood in his bulky arms. "I've finished cutting woo…are they fighting?"

"You sound surprised Al." Pinako chuckled as she pointed to where she wanted the wood placed. "You know those two…they've been at it since the cradle."

"But ever since the accident, Winry's been so nice to Ed. It was starting to get peaceful, and I thought that…well, that maybe…"

"Oh never mind about _those_ sort of things. You're too young for it anyway. Winry's just upset because Ed's decided to take that Mustang man up on his offer."

"What?" Al cried, dropping the wood in his surprise before crouching down to sweep up the splinters. "Ed wants to become a State Alchemist? But why, Auntie?"

"To help you, Al. He's hoping that working for the military will gain him access to secrets that will help in getting your bodies back."

"Oh…"

Silence fell over Al and Pinako as they kept themselves busy in the kitchen. The only sounds that rattled throughout the house were the muffled yells of Ed and Winry from the other room.

"Winry sounds really upset." Al commented quietly, his voice tinged with concern and guilt.

Pinako tapped her pipe in an ashtray as she looked over blueprints for an automail leg.

"She is."

* * *

_I really like how this one ends...sorta seems to fit just right._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the fic and if you did then let me know!_

_Reviews are welcomed and appreciated. No flames, please and thank you!_

**Giant Nickel**


	3. Smell

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. If I did, Ed and Winry would have so kissed by now!_

_Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Smell**

Ed cringed as the sound of water trickling into a basin echoed like a horde of stampeding horses within the walls of his skull. He could pick out every drop, every splash, the noises combining to create a tormenting cyclone around the ten year old's pain clogged brain.

"This sucks." he groaned as he kept his eyes closed. "Winry, just give me the damn morphine."

"No way. You can't have anymore today, Ed." Winry lectured as she squeezed the sponge a second time before proceeded to run it along Ed's new stitches and scar tissue. The feel of the tepid water against his fresh wounds was enough to make Ed either scream in agony or sigh with grateful relief.

He chose to shiver.

"Too cold?" Winry asked with concern, quickly removing the sponge from his skin, water drops splattering against Ed's face. "Oops! Sorry."

Winry quickly raised her hand to wipe away the few stray drops, her fingers lingering on Ed's flushed skin.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a whisper.

"You feel a little warm. Do you feel alright?"

"I have a fucking migraine the size of Amestris, Winry. I feel like shit."

"Well, I…"

"Don't say it!" Ed warned, raising his hand to point at her, his indignant finger nearly poking her in the eye.

"I told you so!" Winry rattled out, slamming the sponge into the water so that it made a raucous splash. Ed cringed and under normal circumstances Winry would have sympathized with her friend, but as she stared down at his right shoulder, the gleaming metal of the newly installed automail port mocking her with its very presence, any pity she may have had flew out the window.

It had been twelve hours since Ed's first operation.

Winry could still smell the disinfectant hanging in the air of the operating room. Her olfactory senses were clinging to the odors of solution, blood, grease, oil and burnt skin. The combination of scents was overwhelming and made Winry feel lightheaded despite her furious concentration to remain focused on helping Ed.

She had begged her grandmother for permission to help with Ed's operation, and she was surprised when Pinako not only agreed, but insisted that Winry be involved with the procedure. Although she was just ten years old and barely an apprentice, Pinako gave Winry the responsibility of securing the port to Ed shoulder and grafting skin around the metal for a secure fit. Pinako worked with Ed's nerves, sorting the live nerves from the dead, admitting her own surprise that over ninety percent of the boy's nerves were useable.

However, this only meant more pain for Ed to endure.

Nerve function and structure were imperative to automail which meant that a patient was required to remain conscious and on light medication during the nerve sorting. If there was pain then the nerve was usable and sorted so that it could be delicately sewn into position and be prepped for the port installation and eventually a full connection with the automail limb. Winry had heard the agonizing screams of many people who sought her grandmother for automail attachment and had prepared herself for Ed's own pain-filled cries.

Ed however, never uttered a single sound.

He did grit his teeth a great deal, and at one point had even grasped Winry's arms so tightly that he left bruises, but he never screamed. Winry wasn't sure if she was relieved or horrified that Ed hadn't cried out, but however she felt, she was resolved to do whatever she could to help Ed.

It had been Winry's first operation and her first time applying a port to a real human being instead of a practice dummy. She had been so nervous; her palms sweating the whole time, but that did not deter the novice mechanic. Instead, Winry had performed her best, and the fact that there was minimal blood and perfect instillation of the port proved that she was ready to begin tackling real connections.

Pinako had praised Winry for her hard work and even told the ten year old to begin working on the blueprints for Ed's custom automail arm. It was the first time that her grandmother had allowed the young girl to work independently on a patient's automail, and Winry was eager to get to work.

She just wished that Ed wasn't her first real patient.

It wasn't that Winry hadn't expected Ed to eventually get some sort of prosthetic. In fact, she had been surprised that Ed hadn't tried to make one himself using alchemy, he was stupid enough to try that. Winry knew that Ed needed an arm and a leg and as a budding automail mechanic, the prospect of designing and installing two automail limbs was thrilling for the girl. Her enthusiasm, however, was greatly spoiled by the fact that her best friend was to be her first patient and that he was going to use the automail she made him to join the military. To think he would endure so much pain just to become little more than a dog on a leash…

Winry shook her head violently, hoping to dispel the memory of Ed's surgery from her mind. No matter how hard she tried, however, the image of Ed lying on the operating table, his face contorting in excruciating pain as she installed the arm port while her grandmother fiddled with his nerve endings stood out in perfect detail in her mind.

It was a difficult surgery to perform for both doctor and patient.

Ed would have to endure three more surgeries before his port was complete and after that his leg port would need to be installed. After that would come the connection, another torturously painful procedure, and then rehabilitation which took most automail patients years to recuperate from. After the initial connection, Ed would only have four months to recover if he expected to meet his ludicrous deadline.

Winry snorted.

"Do you have to be so loud?" Ed asked angrily. Winry looked down at Ed's miserable figure and found that she did have a drop of sympathy for him. Migraines were common after a hard surgery and from the way Ed was burrowing his head into his pillow, he was suffering through an especially agonizing headache.

"Here." Winry said, soaking a rag in the basin, folding it in half and placing it over Ed's eyes. Knowing that light of any kind was torture for migraine sufferers, Winry figured that keeping Ed's eyes protected from the sunlight that was streaming into his room was the best way to soothe him. In her attempt to erase the smell of sickness, Winry had thrown open the windows of Ed's room, allowing the sweet smelling fresh air of Resembool to waft in. She was _not_ going to shut those windows or draw the curtains, so a damp cloth would have to do.

"Winry, how much more of this do I have to take? Can't you put me out of my misery?"

"Oh no! You're the one who decided you had to have automail I'm not gonna let you quit halfway through. After grandma runs some tests, you still have three more surgeries: one for cable and nerve installation, one for insulation, and one for final capping. And then, we get to start all over again with your leg port."

"You sound like you're enjoying this." Ed grunted. "More morphine!"

"Nope, sorry." Winry said a little too cheerfully as she patted Ed lightly on the head. "Ew! Ed, your hair's all greasy."

"So?"

Winry paid Ed little mind and leaned over so that she could give his slick golden strands a critical whiff.

"Your hair smells like you." she said with disgust as she made her way to the adjoining bathroom.

"What's wrong with how I smell?" Ed demanded, the clunk of draws and cupboards closing sounding like bombs to his sensitive ears. He really wished he'd pass out.

"You stink, that's what's wrong." Winry replied as she returned to Ed's bedside. "Scoot down."

"Why?"

"Just do it or I'll make you." the ten year old threatened. If he wasn't feeling as if his head was about to snap in two, Ed might have argued with Winry. However, he had no fight in him and so just shimmied his body down the bed as Winry had told him to.

He wondered what she was up to.

When Ed felt the mattress by the top of his head dip, he could feel a blush creeping up his neck. Winry was sitting behind him, so close that he could smell the cinnamon on her breath. What had she been eating that had cinnamon in it?

"Hey! What're you doing?" Ed demanded when he felt his hair being lifted and dropped into water.

"Washing your hair. Seriously Ed, if you want to grow your hair long at least learn to take care of it." Winry lectured as she smoothed his golden strands in the basin she had placed between her crossed legs.

Ed would have snorted if he knew it wouldn't hurt his head.

Just after coming to his decision to join the military, Ed had decided to grow his hair out. He had always wanted to have long hair, but his mother insisted that little boys didn't wear their hair long. Every since that stormy night, however, Ed no longer felt like a little boy, and so he was going to grow his hair as long as he wanted.

He grimaced, remembering how Winry had laughed when he made his announcement. She had told him, through her giggles, that he would look like a girl with long blond locks flowing freely down his shoulders.

'_I'll wear it up._' Ed decided as he felt Winry's fingers comb through his hair, determined to get out all of the tangles before washing it. He would never say it out loud, but it felt sort of nice having Winry take care of him.

Ed had been friends with Winry for years, had known her even longer than his brother. Thinking back, most of Ed's first memories involved Winry in some way.

His very first memory of Winry was filled with flowers. Al was barely crawling and their mother had taken them to a field of wildflowers to spend the day. Winry and her family had been invited, the two families partaking of the warm sunlight, cool breezes and the fields of colorful spring flowers.

Ed even imagined that his father had been there, but he chose to ignore that fact for fear of contaminating a rather happy first memory.

While Al was crawling through the tall grass, Ed and Winry were pretending the baby was a lion hunting them. The smells of grass and dirt blossomed in Ed's memory. As he and Winry dodged Al, they exited the tall grass and discovered the wildflowers, each one nearly as tall as they were, with so many colors that Ed believed there were some that he had never known existed. With the perfume of fresh spring flowers surrounding them, Ed took hold of a pink flower, tugged it free of its roots and presented the prize to his friend. Winry had accepted the blossom, graced Ed with a glowing smile then took off to continue playing with Al, the scent of flowers trailing after her.

Ed was surprised at himself for recalling such a deeply protected memory. It was returning to him so strongly that he was sure he could still smell the flowers from the field…

"Winry! You're using girl shampoo!" he cried when he realized that the scent of flowers was coming from the soapy suds that Winry was currently massaging into his hair.

"It's all we have."

"Well why was it in _my_ bathroom?" Ed demanded.

"Because your showerhead has stronger pressure than my bathroom." Winry explained with rising ire. "Besides, it's not really _your_ bathroom…it's _my_ house."

"I'm here enough that it's my bathroom." Ed insisted. "Come on, Win."

Winry stalled, Ed's hair wrapped around her fingers. Only Ed was allowed to call her Win, and he didn't do it very often because he knew it vexed her so much that she would hit him over the head with a screwdriver. He only ever called her Win when he was trying to be shyly sweet or whiningly persuasive.

"I'm not gonna stop, Ed. I'm nearly done."

"But I'm gonna smell like a girl."

"So? What's so bad about that? It's better than smelling like stink."

"Not if you're a boy. You just don't get it." Ed groaned.

"Nope. I guess not." Winry answered sweetly as she continued to work the lather of her shampoo into Ed's hair.

As far as scents went, Winry didn't particularly care to smell constantly of flowers. She preferred the smell of her grandmother's workshop, the combination of motor oil, grease and steel forever clinging to the air. However, when it came to her hair, Winry had always used this flowery shampoo. The smell of flowers all around her as she washed her hair made her feel calm…like a fond memory.

Looking down at Ed, Winry noticed he was grumbling to himself, the words 'girlie', 'flowers' and 'sucks' making their way to her ears. As much as she did enjoy antagonizing Ed, Winry really didn't want him to concern himself with something as stupid as shampoo when he had to recover from major surgery.

"Here. How does this feel?" Winry asked as she pushed her fingers closer to Ed's brow. Mindful of the soap on her fingers, Winry began to massage Ed's temples, pressing firmly into his skin in soothing circular motions. His grumbling stopped instantly, the lines in his forehead telling of his incredible migraine disappearing as he finally began to relax under her ministrations. Winry smiled to herself, forgoing Ed's hair for the moment so that she could massage his scalp.

Ed felt like a purring kitten under Winry's firm fingers. His migraine was not going away, but it was less sever the more she rubbed those small circles along his head. And even as he found himself drifting off to sleep, Ed could smell the strong scent of flowers surrounding himself and Winry.

He would not realize it until years later, when he was spending long nights traveling by train, that he missed the smell of flowers surrounding him as he slept.

* * *

_So what do you think? Personally, this is my favorite chapter. I like writing Ed._

_Reviews are welcomed and greatly appreciated. No flames, please and thank you!_

**Giant Nickel**


	4. Taste

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist._

_This is the fourth in the series. Hope you like it, and enjoy!_

* * *

**Taste**

Ed sighed contently, a small smile gracing his features. No one in the world could possibly feel as good as he did at this very moment. He was outside, actually outside, for the first time in months. He could feel the grass under his back, a sweet scented breeze blew through his hair, the nostalgic scent of clean laundry, wheat and dung hung in the air, and the sun warmed his entire body, reaffirming Ed's conviction to make things right for himself and his brother.

He had an arm and a leg now, both made of gleaming automail, and while he was still terribly wobbly on his feet and needed a pair of crutches to get around, the young boy felt whole for the first time in almost a year.

Not complete, but whole.

To cap off Ed's perfect moment in time, his head was cushioned quite comfortably on Winry's lap, her fingers brushing through his now shoulder length hair, and a spoon full of melting ice cream in her hand. Closing his eyes, Ed opened his mouth wide, indicating that he was ready for another helping of the sweetly thick confection. Winry took her cue and brought the spoon to Ed's open mouth. His lips wrapped tightly around the utensil, his tongue swirling over the blob of ice cream, making sure that every part of his mouth was touched by the creamy delight before it slid slowly down his parched throat. Releasing the spoon, Ed licked his lips clean before smacking them and unleashing a delighted moan.

"You're such a pig." Winry teased as she piled with spoon with more chocolate ice cream.

"Just shut up and feed me, woman." Ed demanded, opening his mouth again. Since his eyes were closed, Winry felt confidant in smiling gently at the boy who was resting in her lap. She hated when he caught her looking at him with fond eyes, and since Ed was no longer on morphine and sleeping at all hours of the day, it was rare that Winry could take a private moment to admire him.

So far he was recovering without complications, but no complications didn't mean that there weren't problems.

Ever since he had his arm and leg connected, the boy was unstoppable to the point of endangering himself. He still needed to wait for his body to adjust to the automail, for his muscles to regain their strength and learn to accept these new limbs. No matter how many times she told him, however, Ed insisted on pushing his body to the limit, walking up and down the stairs for hours, lifting weights, and even trying to coax Al into sparing with him. It was only when Winry threatened to forbid Al from tending to Den before the younger brother finally agreed to stop relenting to Ed's stubborn will.

Things had become quite hectic in the Rockbell house since Ed had gained a new arm and leg. Moments such as this, sitting on the hill that overlooked most of the town, no worries to concern them, no Pinako harping at Winry to double check her measurements for an automail commission or lecturing Ed on proper automail maintenance, were very few. Winry treasured them immensely, knowing that days such as this were numbered as Ed's deadline for a full recovery was less than two months away.

As it was a nice day, Ed would normally be going about his own rigorous physical therapy. Today, however, was the young boy's eleventh birthday, and both Winry and Al had banded together to convince Ed that he should take his birthday off and just enjoy a lazy day in Resembool.

Ed's idea of lazy, however, was a little too self-indulgent. He had awaken that morning and, rather than make his way downstairs on his own two legs, had demanded that Al cart him around as if he were a personal donkey made for such services. At breakfast Ed had insisted on having his favorite, mushroom omelets with maple flavored bacon and deep fried dumplings (which, coincidentally, was Winry's least favorite breakfast) before announcing that he wished to spend the day outside on the hill that overlooked all of Resembool. Once again, Al was made the pack mule as Winry collected various items to bring out to the hill including a stack of alchemy journals, a picnic lunch, a crossword puzzle, drinks, and her own journal which tracked her progress with Ed's automail. She had been ready to leave when she spotted the container of ice cream in the ice box. Unable to resist, Winry took the container of sweet chocolate goodness, packed it in a thermos filled with ice and the joined the Elric brothers on their trek to the hill.

Normally, Winry would have slapped Ed upside of the head for being such a demanding ass, but as it was his birthday she decided to make it an exception…she would punish him tomorrow for having been such a demanding ass.

"Winry, this is the best ice cream." Ed sighed after swallowing another mouthful. "Best birthday gift ever!"

"Ed, you are the weirdest kid." Winry groaned.

Cracking open one golden eye, Ed regarded his friend critically.

"What the hell kind of thing is that to say to the birthday boy?" he demanded.

"Ed," Winry began as she held another scoop of ice cream before his face, "every time I try to get you to drink milk you nearly have an aneurism, but I give you _chocolate ice cream_, two _milk_ products, and you look like your face is gonna split with all that smiling. It makes no sense to like ice cream and chocolate when you can't even stomach their main ingredient."

Rolling his one open eye, Ed snatched the spoon from Winry's hand, stuck it in his mouth and made a grand production of licking the spoon clean.

"You are so gross." Winry said sardonically, a disgusted grin playing upon her lips. Shoving the spoon back into her hands, Ed stretched his shoulders and back muscles, readjusting his head on Winry's lap before fixing his face into a stern expression and taking a deep breath.

Winry knew this expression.

She was in for one of Ed's famous insufferable lectures on the evils of milk.

"First of all, Winry, it is presumptuous to claim that milk is the main ingredient in either ice cream or chocolate. Ice cream has a variety of components including ten percent milkfat which doesn't have to include dairy, approximately sixteen percent of sweeteners which could be either sucrose or syrup, twelve percent of non-fat solids derived from milk, one percent egg yolk and fifty-two percent water and air.

"As for chocolate, it's made up of over fifty percent cacao powder, two percent vanilla, one percent of lecithin, thirty percent sugar, and the rest is made up of milk fats and solids. So you see, Winry, the ratio of non-milk products far outweighs the ratio of that disgusting blanche bovine secretion."

"You're such a nerd." Winry groaned once Ed's tirade on milk was over. He gave her a hard, irritated stare before deciding against fighting with her in favor of turning his attention towards the fields before him.

"Hey! Where'd Al go?" Ed asked worriedly.

"Relax, over-protective big brother, Al went to the neighbor's. Their cat had another litter and Al just wanted to play with them." Winry explained, helping herself to a small spoonful of the chocolate ice cream.

It really was deliciously soothing sliding down the throat.

"Just great. Now I'll have a bunch of stupid kittens in my bed by the time we get back to the house. Why'd you let him go, Winry? You know he'll just try and keep them."

"No he won't." Winry insisted as a mother might to a whining child. "The kittens are too young to be taken away from their mother and Al knows that. He just wants to play with them for a while. There's no harm in it, Ed."

"Yeah, no harm until he's sneaking the little beasts into my bed." Ed mumbled as he crossed his arms.

He tried to hide his startled jump when his cold metal arm pressed against the skin of his chest. It was taking a great deal of getting used to having automail and it was not all about relearning mobility. Both limbs were heavier than his flesh ones, causing the muscles around the automail to work hard and often leaving Ed with a tender body. He knew he was pushing himself, but he only had a limited amount of time to recover before catching the train that would take him to his chosen fate.

Winry didn't like his strenuous training, constantly lecturing him on taking it slow and allowing his body to adjust and accept his new limbs. Ed's simple retort had been that his damn body would accept whatever he told it to accept and that Winry needed to keep her nagging mouth shut.

They seemed to be fighting more and more as the day of Ed's departure came closer. While he and Winry had always been vulnerable to spats and arguments, Ed sensed that something in their normal banter had changed, though he couldn't say what.

"Do you want some more?" Winry asked as she reached for the tub of ice cream.

Ed didn't answer, he merely opened his mouth and waited for Winry to deposit the ice cream in his mouth.

"Anything else, your highness?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well…you could massage my foot."

"Forget it, I am not touching your nasty foot." Winry declared.

"Just what the hell's wrong with my foot?" Ed demanded.

"Besides those gross little hairs on each toe, your feet are the size of a giant's. I don't know how a shrimp like you could have such big feet. Maybe you're in for a growth spurt."

"Who the hell are you calling so small that an ant would need a magnifying glass to see them right under its nose?!" Ed demanded uproariously as he sat up from Winry's lap so he could yell in her face properly.

"I didn't say anything like that!" Winry yelled right back. "And if I did, I would have said that you are so small that a single-celled bacteria would have to look under the rug to be able to find you!"

"That doesn't even make sense!" Ed countered.

"And neither do you! Hearing things that haven't been said. Honestly Ed, I think you're losing your marbles. Better watch out or all of that alchemy is going to leak out of your ear." Winry teased matter-of-factly.

"Wha…" Ed sighed as he looked at his friend with narrowed, confused eyes.

"Just lie back down." Winry commanded as she used the palm of her hand to push on Ed's forehead and force him back onto her lap. "Have some more ice cream…it'll shut you up."

Before Ed could counter, Winry had stuffed another spoonful of ice cream into Ed's open mouth. Lately, Ed's appetite had amplified so that he was often eating twice as much as usual. Not that Winry was really complaining as the extra nourishment returned the weight Ed had lost from all those months he had been enduring surgery, but now the only way to get Ed to shut up was to stuff his mouth with something.

Several long quiet minutes passed before both Ed and Winry had cooled from their argument. Soon, Winry was carefully spooning chocolate ice cream into Ed's mouth while trailing her fingers through his long hair. While she had laughed at first, Winry had to admit that long hair suited Ed, at least if he wore it up.

"Hey Ed? Ever thought of wearing your hair in a braid?" she asked. Cracking open one eye, Ed gave her a wary look that clearly stated that he did not wish to get into another fight over his hair. "I'm not saying cut it," she assured, "I'm just suggesting you wear it up more. I mean, you wear it in a ponytail sometimes, but I think a braid might look better. Would you like me to make one?"

Ed took his time to consider Winry's offer. After deciding that she wasn't teasing him nor was she trying to trick him, Ed nodded his consent.

"Great. I'll do it now. Here, sit up." Winry instructed as she pushed Ed's shoulders until he was sitting in front of her. Realizing he had no choice in the matter, Ed waited as Winry got comfortable behind him. "Here, hold the spoon."

Taking the spoon she had shoved into his hand so that she could run both hands through his hair, Ed decided it was best not to waste perfectly good ice cream and leaned to his left to capture the tub of the delicious sweet treat. Placing it in his lap, Ed began to devour what was left of the chocolate ice cream. He didn't understand why he was so hungry most of the time, but it seemed that eating had suddenly become a compulsion. Pinako had said it was his body trying to regain the weight he had lost months ago, but Ed wasn't so sure. In any case, eating the ice cream distracted him from how nice Winry's fingers playing in his hair felt.

That embarrassing blush began to creep up his neck again, and Ed shoveled more ice cream into his mouth to cool his flushed skin.

It was just Winry! There was no need to be blushing like an idiot. It's not like she was Carmen Smithstone, the very cute brunette who had developed _much_ earlier than her peers, or Betsy Johnston who always wore really short skirts. Winry was just so…not like Carmen or Betsy. She was slim to the point of being too skinny, was completely flat-chested, had long awkward legs, and there was almost always a smudge of grease on her somewhere. Ed had always known that Winry would take up Pinako's profession, and after she had helped to design and construct his automail, Ed had a sure feeling that Winry would soon become his personal mechanic.

That thought caused his blush to return with a vengeance.

Scraping the last bit of ice cream from the container, Ed took great delight in letting the ice cream melt on his tongue, enjoying the sensation of the cool sweetness running down his throat in time with Winry's gentle practiced weaving of his hair.

At that moment, Ed decided that he would always have chocolate ice cream on his birthday.

* * *

_So, Ed's started to blossom into that awkward teenager we all know and love. _

_I was eleven when I first noticed the opposite sex, so I figured that, despite Ed's trauma and his quest, he would still have quiet moments with Winry in which the onslaught of adolescents and hormones would cause him to blush like mad and act like a fool._

_Tell me what you think!_

_Reviews are welcomed and appreciated. No flames, please and thank you!_

**Giant Nickel**


	5. Touch

_Disclaimer: I do not nor do I ever hope to have the chance of owning Fullmetal Alchemist...but I can dream._

_This chapter is very much a whole lota fluff. But people need a little fluff, especially people like Ed and Winry._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Touch**

Winry couldn't believe they had done it.

The idea was totally ludicrous and Winry had thought Ed and Al were joking when they first told her that morning. Even as they walked out of the house later that evening and down the path to the Elric house with torches ablaze Winry still didn't believe them, yelling at Ed and Al to turn around and go back to her yellow house so they could enjoy the last few hours they had together before the brothers would be catching the evening train out of Resembool.

She didn't believe they would actually do it until Ed took his torch and threw it onto the roof of the house and Al threw his in the door. Even then she thought they were simply taking a cruel joke too far. But then they stood aside and watched their home burn, the smell of oil and flames polluting the cool twilight air. The stench was potent, the fumes burning her wide, horrified blue eyes, but that was not why Winry had cried.

Through blurred watery eyes, Winry watched as her home away from home, the house of the Elric brothers, was consumed by fire, their memories, roots and past along with it.

The whole ordeal had seemed like one of her worst nightmares.

While Winry had diligently worked on her feelings concerning Ed and Al's departure for the military, eventually coming to accept their decision no matter how much she didn't like it, she found the burning of their house to be the ultimate slap in the face. Even now as she stood at her bedroom window watching the smoke twist away from the ashes of what used to be Ed and Al's house, Winry felt her gut clench sickly.

The sun was just kissing the horizon and soon it would be night…soon Ed and Al would be leaving.

Knowing that the brothers must be waiting for her before their departure, Winry swallowed her misery and decided she had best make her way downstairs to say goodbye to her friends. Taking slow scraping steps through her room, careful to bypass the tools and automail pieces that littered her floor, Winry grasped the doorknob and opened her bedroom door with a heavy groan.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she found Ed on the other side, arm raised and poised as if he was preparing to knock.

"Ed!" Winry cried a little shrilly, causing Ed to jump back slightly. "Geez, Ed, you nearly gave me a heart attack. How many times have I told you not to lurk? And how long have you been standing there? I never heard you."

Ed's mouth opened and shut a few times, as if his brain couldn't decide which question to answer first. His body was tense, his golden eyes darting everywhere but her face, and the slightest hint of a blush was creeping up his neck and moving around his ears before tinting his cheeks. Winry hadn't told Ed she'd been noticing his rather frequent blushes mostly because she couldn't understand _why_ he was blushing in the first place.

As for Ed, he couldn't bring himself to look directly at Winry for the simple fact that the last hot orange rays of the sun were shining on Winry from behind, causing her somewhat tan skin to take on a fiery glow, her wheat blond hair to shine like a gold-spun halo…and her white tank top to be completely see-through.

Although Ed had very often, and very loudly, proclaimed that Winry had nothing of interest to look at, he was suddenly aware of just how wrong he had been. They might not be much, but Winry was _definitely_ blooming and Ed had been too much of an ignoramus to notice before now.

He was slightly intrigued and even more mortified that this image of his best friend would be what he carried with him on his way to his military post.

"Win…could you maybe come out into the hall?" Ed asked through a few stutters, his eyes now trained on the floor. Giving Ed a quizzical glance, Winry did as he asked, closing the door to her room behind her and thus blocking off the light that made her glow so intriguingly.

"What's up, Ed? I was just coming down to see you and Al off?" Winry said a little too casually and much too cheerfully.

Ed didn't buy it for a minute, his dark amber eyes narrowing as he finally found the courage to look at Winry. He noticed right away that her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks streaked with tear trails. While she had cried as she stood off to the side when he and Al burned down their house, those tears should have dried long ago. These were fresh tears, and Ed suspected they were over the same mote point.

"Why were you crying, Winry?" he asked as if he were interrogating her. His presumptuous tone made Winry's ire boil, but she had decided that since this was the last time she would see Ed for probably a few months she was not going to get angry with him…no matter how much he deserved it.

"Can't we just drop it Ed, you know why I was crying." she answered tiredly.

"It's not still about the house, is it? Winry, we've been over this…"

"I know. You don't want to have anything from your past tying you down. That way, you can only move forward, not back. I remember your little speech from this morning, Ed."

Ed growled at Winry's flippant description of his reasons for torching his house, his own temper rising to the surface.

"Do you really think it was easy for me to do that?" he demanded.

"I didn't see you hesitate when you threw that torch onto your roof. I smelled the oil, Ed…you and Al had already been there and doused your house in oil so it would burn faster. You planned this all out. Doesn't sound like you found it too hard." Winry countered, crossing her arms as she frowned at him.

Ed hated when Winry gave him that look. That single look was the bane of his existence, even worse than when his mother used to punish him for cussing. That look screamed '_I'm disappointed in you, Edward_' and other than upsetting his mother, Ed couldn't stand to be a disappointment to Winry.

"Well, it's not a decision we came to lightly. If Al and I want our bodies back we need to stay focused. That means not clinging to the past."

"Wow, what a compliment." Winry snorted. The surprised look he gave her was the only clue she needed to deduce that Ed had no idea what she was talking about. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Winry took a firm step towards him, her blue eyes boring into his golden ones so that he would absorb all that she had to say. "Just what am I, Ed? We grew up together, went to school together, played together, shared secrets and hopes. I'm part of your past, Ed. _Me_! Are you trying to forget me, too? Are you just gonna leave me behind, walk away and never come back? I knew you were a jerk but I didn't think you could be so heartless."

"Heartless? Winry, I nearly got my brother killed! All Al is now is a metaphysical piece of energy tied to a suit of armor. He can't sleep, or eat, or feel or do anything he used to. I took that from him, Winry and I need to make it right. He may be the same old Al now, forgiving and kind, but if he stays like that he'll hate me."

"Al would never…"

"He'll grow to hate me, I know it!" Ed bellowed before clamping his automail hand over his mouth, fearful that Al might have heard him. "Dammit. Look, I just came to say goodbye. Al wanted to know if you were gonna come down."

"Edward." Winry huffed, pulling at his coat so that he couldn't storm away like he always did when he got agitated. "I'm sorry. I know you have to do whatever you can to get yours and Al's bodies back. I understand. It's why I worked so hard on making you the best automail. I was being selfish getting mad at you about your house. I'll go downstairs and say goodbye to Al."

Winry released Ed, noting that his long bangs had fallen over his eyes. She couldn't help smiling when she saw that he had tied his hair back in a braid, and had been doing so ever since his birthday.

She had been right, a braid suited Ed.

Just as Winry was about to descend the stairs, Ed's arm shot out, gripping her firmly by the wrist and stopping all of her movements. Turning to regard her friend, Winry saw a look on Ed's face that she only recognized from moments when he was in deep concentration, usually when he was studying alchemy.

"What is it?" she asked.

It was another moment of intense staring before Ed pulled Winry to him, their bodies thumping together as he embraced her, holding her so close that she actually had the wind knocked out of her.

But that was Ed, all passion and no grace.

He held her tightly with both arms wrapped snugly around her back. The strange combination of flesh and metal embracing her left Winry feeling delighted and light-headed. She had given Ed that metal arm. As he hugged her, Winry was able to pick out each grove, curve and screw in Ed's arm, the impressions pressing into her back with gentle but firm insistence. This was a good arm, a strong arm. It would protect him in his quest, just as his leg would.

In some ways, it felt as if Ed was a knight of old, departing on a dangerous quest filled with perils that most could not imagine. He needed a suit of armor, and Winry felt a swell of pride that she had been the one to dress him. Her automail would keep him safe. She knew that each screw, wire, cable and cover would be Ed's shield against whatever foes he faced. What she found most intriguing, however, was how the metal of his arm, so cold and hard, warmed as he held her close.

It was at that moment that Winry fell head-over-heels in love with automail

"I'm not gonna forget you, OK?" Ed stated, his warm breath caressing her neck.

Winry was at least a good head taller than Ed and had been since they were nine. She knew this was why Ed had stopped hugging her since it was _his_ head that ending up nestled under her chin and not the other way around. He hated being reminded of his short stature, and the sacrifice for that great disdain was his hugs which were always warm and inviting, but most of all, wholehearted.

This was their first hug in over three years.

Realizing she wasn't returning his hug, Winry immediately wrapped her own arms around his lower back, her head tilting to rest on top of Ed's. As she hugged him, she spread her fingers wide, as if trying to grasp all of him within her hands. The fabric of his red jacket was coarse and prickly and it ruffled underneath her fingertips. His back muscles, taut and firm with all of the effort he had put into becoming strong flexed and curled, molding to fit warmly in the palm of her hand. His hair tickled her nose and felt rough under her cheek, but she relished it and pulled him close.

She had forgotten how good Ed's hugs felt…how much she loved it when it was just the two of them…

"Al and I will come back as soon as we get our original bodies." Ed swore.

"I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like you leaving." Winry reasoned.

Ed caught his breath when her breath blew through his hair. It wasn't…unpleasant, and that frightened Ed more than his journey to find Al's body. He was too young to be liking girls, and out of all the girls there were to like, why Winry?

'_I don't like her._' Ed decided firmly as he released Winry, immediately missing her body heat next to him and then immediately berating himself for missing her warmth. It only reminded Ed of just how much of a bastard he was for taking all of those things away from Al. Every touch, smell, and reaction Ed had towards Winry was something Al couldn't have. Knowing that Al couldn't feel a hug, or smell flowers in someone's hair or cinnamon on their breath or feel his stomach clench and heart pound wildly tore Ed up inside. He wouldn't allow himself to have these feelings, not when Al couldn't.

He'd just wanted to hug her one more time…

"Come on, Win, let's go." Ed said as he stepped around her to begin making his way down the stairs. Dazed, Winry shook herself out of her stupor before following Ed. When he stopped at the bottom of the stairs, the voices of Pinako and Al softly bouncing off the walls, Winry stopped on the step behind him, waiting to see what he was doing.

"You make good automail, Winry. Because of you, I can go on my quest to restore myself and Al. You did that for me. I want you to remember that."

"OK, Ed." Winry answered quietly feeling as if the sun had risen in her heart. It seemed that she had said what Ed wanted to hear for he finished descending the stairs and made his way towards the kitchen. Pinako was standing at the screen door while Al was waiting on the porch.

"Winry!" Al exclaimed. "I didn't think you were going to come down."

"Of course I was, Al. I wasn't going to let you go without saying goodbye."

"Are you still mad at us for burning the house?" Al asked, his voice tinged with guilt.

"Who cares if she's mad? We did the right thing, and it was our house, anyway." Ed snorted as he picked up his suitcase and joined his younger brother on the porch. Winry sighed. Leave it to Al to feel guilty while Ed felt self-righteous.

"I'm still a little mad, Al, but I guess Ed's right. You had to do it."

"I'm sorry." Al said as he came forward to give Winry a hug. The metal of Al's armor was chilling against Winry's skin, but like Ed's automail, it warmed as she held him. Winry knew Al couldn't feel her arms around him, but she also knew that this quest would restore Al's ability to touch and feel.

She could let the Elric brothers go for such an important cause.

"You'll write, won't you? Or call? And you have to come back at least every three months for maintenance, Ed. I'll see you guys soon, right?"

Ed and Al didn't answer for a while and Winry knew that they didn't really know when they would come back to Resembool.

"We'll definitely come back for the maintenance." Ed answered, scuffing his feet against the wood porch. Winry desperately wanted to believe Ed's words, so even though she suspected they were lies, she chose to take them as truth. Ed would be back for a check-up on his automail, Winry was sure of it.

"You two better get going if you want to catch that train." Pinako commented around her pipe.

"We're going, 'ya old hag." Ed grumbled as he turned around and marched down the steps.

"Bye Auntie! Bye Winry! Bye Den!" Al called, waving at the three occupants of the yellow house. Winry waved back, tears once again stinging the corners of her eyes. She had cried enough today, she wouldn't cry as she watched them walk away.

Winry and her grandmother remained on the porch, watching the Elric brothers until they disappeared over the hills, never leaving their post until they heard the whistle of the train as it left Resembool with Ed and Al onboard.

"You're really going to miss them, aren't you?" Pinako asked as she scratched Den behind the ears.

"Yes." Winry answered.

From the moment Ed had stepped off the porch and onto the dirt road, it felt as if he was a million miles away from her. The idea that Ed was gone, completely out of her reach, left Winry feeling lost and uncomfortable and she wasn't sure why. When she thought of Al being gone a heavy melancholy fell on her, but it was very different from how she felt when she thought of Ed.

When did her feelings for the Elric brothers become so different?

When did her feelings for Ed start to change?

"But they'll be back, Granny. They said they would."

If Winry had known that it would be four years until she saw Edward Elric again, she might have hugged Ed just a little longer and a little tighter in the empty hallway outside of her bedroom.

* * *

**A/N:** _So this is it, the final chapter in my oneshot drabbles. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my fic, but a very special 'thanks' must be given to those of you who have taken the time to review and tell me your thoughts. Like most fanfic writers, it is your reviews that keep me going. Whenever I was searching for inspiration or suffering from a bought of writer's block I merely went back to my reviews where I was reminded of what my readers like about my stories. Your help has been completely invaluable._

_And so, I say once again, reviews are welcomed and greatly appreciated. No flames, please and thank you!_

**Giant Nickel**


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